Lenny Bruce Is Dead: A Novel (Paperback)

~ (Author) "AT MCDONALD'S, when I'm throwing out the stuff on my tray, there's a point where I get scared that my wallet could have been on..." (more)
Key Phrases: Love Lotion, Burger Zoo, Great Rebbe (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Goldstein's woeful, funny debut novel is a series of aphorism-capped vignettes, paced at the rate of approximately one scene per paragraph. As these snapshots flash past, protagonist Josh ages rapidly from child to onanistic teen to depressive adult, mourning the death of his mother and the loss of a series of vividly described girlfriends along the way. Throughout, descriptions of Josh's suburban-anytown Jewish upbringing and job at local fast-food franchise Burger Zoo, while peppered with scatological and Portnoy's Complaint-esque sordidly sexual details, often achieve a level of nuance that's poetic and almost profound. In the latter third of the book, Josh's preoccupation with a Hasidic neighbor and the "Rebbe's Kosher-style Love Lotion" that he begins to experiment with grow repetitive and confusing. But "This American Life" contributing editor Goldstein has a knack for imagery ("He was crying on the floor, pulling toilet paper off the spool with both hands like he was climbing a rope") and ear for hyper-realistic dialogue, making him a writer to watch. (Mar.)
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Review

"A funny, sad, lyrical, totally perverted examination of what happens to people when the culture cares too much about sex." -- Neal Pollack

"Jonathan Goldstein is like no one else. He's constantly surprising, simultaneously poetic and hilarious; an honest-to-goodness artist." -- David Rakoff

"The cleanest dirty book I have ever read. Goldstein is a goddamn poet." -- VICE Magazine

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 200 pages
• Publisher: Counterpoint (February 21, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 158243347X
• ISBN-13: 978-1582433479
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 4.9 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #94,743 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars An Interesting Disappointment, April 18, 2002

By	"kintopf432" (Minneapolis, MN USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Lenny Bruce is Dead (Paperback)

Interesting, experimental novel by one of my favorite "This American Life" essayists. Folks familiar with that show will recognize the storytelling style: three- or four-sentence paragraph/chapters, each presenting a new idea, are bounced off each other in very rapid succession. The effect is sometimes ironic, sometimes not. Unfortunately, this device may be better suited to radio than it is to the page, and while there are some powerful moments the book comes off as more of a gimmicky exercise than anything else. The relentless cleverness (although the writing isn't terribly funny) make the book seem pretty far removed from actual human experience. It's also bogged down by an undergraduate sensibility about sex, and by a lot of odd metaphors that don't go anywhere. I can imagine this style being successfully applied to the novel form, but I don't think Goldstein's done it here.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Burn this book, October 15, 2006

By	Book reviewer "english major" (Khandahar) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Lenny Bruce is Dead (Paperback)

This book was not funny or interesting. It is sort of like those columns Larry King used to write..... I want a pastrami sandwich,.....isn't the Godfather a great movie,..........I remember when the Yankees won all the time.... This author must have a lot of friends in the writing business, because this waste of time shouldn't get good reviews. Thank you very very mush.

30 of 41 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing, November 23, 2002

By	Clyde Kellis (Chicago) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Lenny Bruce is Dead (Paperback)

Anybody who's ever heard this author on This American Life would have high hopes for any novel he writes, but unfortunately Lenny Bruce is Dead just doesn't live up to his potential.

However, I recently read his second book, "Schmelvis", and it's extraordinary. It's not a novel but rather a sort of road trip memoir. It's about a documentary Goldstein worked on about Elvis Presley's Jewish roots (yes, believe it or not, the King was a Hebe) and it is brilliant. He and a film crew, a chassidic jewish Elvis impersonator named Schmelvis and a wacky Rabbi went to Memphis and Israel looking for evidence. Hilarious, touching, fascinating, all at the same time. I'd recommend that Jonathan's fans run, don't walk, and pick up "Schmelvis". Much more in the spirit of This American life than Lenny Bruce is dead, although his novel does have its moments so you might want to read that as well.